$75 Invicta Speedway 9223 Is an Homage to the Rolex Daytona

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I will never own a Rolex - if I ever spend big bucks on a watch I'd go for a Breitling, which are much less expensive - but I really like the 9223; It was my first Invicta and I wore it a ton for most of a year, so it is a bit scuffed, but would buy it again. I'll probably eventually pick up the 8926OB, which is another Faulex.

Look at it it his way: The Rolex Daytona is $14,000 on Amazon. With that $14,000, you could buy a Breitling Super Avenger (~$4,000), a Tag Heuer Carrera (~$3,000), and an Invicta Valjoux (~$1,000), a half dozen various Invictas (~$1,000) and still have $5,000 left to take your family on a tropical vacation.

I think at some point I'll probably end up buying a $1,000 watch, and maybe, just maybe get a Breitling or a Tag Heuer, but even if I could afford a Rolex I wouldn't buy one.

On a different note, have you checked out the Invicta Limited Edition 1248? It has a really classy look, more like a Seiko, and is a really nice size - 45mm across the case. Ignore the Amazon price - it goes for $140-150 on Ebay. The one downside about it is that it has crappy lume, but the tungsten gives it a nice heaviness to it and it looks and feels like a Reserve watch, even though it technically isn't.

Speaking of Seikos and lume, my new SNAD05 has terrific lume and is a really nice watch - highly recommended. I'll pick up the two-tone gold and silver one if I can ever find it for less than $200. The one thing I'm not sure about, though, is that like Pulsars the bezel rotates without clicking. It is smooth and not loose, so doesn't have a cheap feel to it, but I kind of like the click action. Again, highly recommended - I think you'd enjoy one of these more than an Invicta Python, and it was only about $40-50 more.

The 1248 is great looking but it's ceramic. My watch dealer stopped carrying ceramic because it chips and cracks. My wife's ceramic watch cracked at the bracelet in two months. So no ceramic for me. Thanks for the Python warning. I'm not getting one. I hope I go back to my Invictas because I have so many. But now I disdain them a bit. I'm a Seiko man. We'll see how this plays out. I think I already went through my big man on campus phase with the 55mm Invictas.

I know it is partially ceramic but I can't tell where as it seems entirely made of steel and tungsten. I suppose that the outer ring of the bezel could be ceramic, but I think that's it. Anyhow, it feels sturdy and doesn't seem like it would easily break, unless dropped from a height.

I'm wearing my Seiko SNAD05 right now and enjoying it, but it doesn't have the pop and snazz of an Invicta. Different moods, different watches.

Part of me wants to tell you to try the magic of the Seiko Black Monster, but another part of me thinks you'd be annoyed by its kinetic movement that requires you give it a lot of wrist time. Your rotation would be compromised. The look is amazing. Nothing like it.

I own a Rolex----a Ladies model that belonged to my late wife. One thing I will say in favor of Rolex----they hold their value. They are expensive, but I work with a woman whose husband/family owns a small chain of fine jewelry stores. As she said, a Rolex is always a good decision----they will often return your investment if you decide to change to something else----while other expensive watch values deflate to the point where you're stuck with them. That is the same reason why pawn shops pay more for Rolex than they do for brands that cost just as much new----the Rolex always has buyers ready to spend.

The Black Monster is definitely on my list, maybe the next Seiko I will get (although I really like the SRP231 as well). As for the kinetic movement, what happens if you leave in the drawer for a couple weeks? Do you need it serviced or can you just re-set it and put it on?